Japanese Breakfast Captures The Teenage Angst/Bliss Of Prom In “Boyish”

Japanese Breakfast soaks us into the jungle of teenage anxiety and excitement, aka Prom, in her new video “Boyish.” The video depicts a girl who attends her school dance wearing a tuxedo and eyeing her crush that happens to be sitting with another girl. The slow-burning melancholic tune and the tense emotional suppression of the video capture the hidden insecurities beneath the tux:

“The video for ‘Boyish’ was always sort of our magnum opus for Soft Sounds. I think it took Adam Kolodny and I working on so many videos together to prepare for the enormity of a school dance–lighting and decorating such a large space, casting and dressing so many extras. The song is about insecurity, particularly what it’s like to love someone who isn’t physically attracted to you. It’s an old song, the meaning of which has transformed for me over time, but it has always been about a tension and rejection perfectly encompassed by a school dance. I did not attend my own senior prom, so it was the perfect opportunity to bring my own vision of a gorgeous, space dance to life.” shared Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner, who also directed the video.

“Boyish” is from JB’s widely acclaimed 2017 album, Soft Sounds From Another Planet. JB has recently extended her North American tour to include support dates for Belle & Sebastian, Coachella, Bonnaroo and Sasquatch. Make sure to see her live: